Transcript:Miller, Richard S. Hall Records/p024

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with the well known family of Masons in Virginia. His cousin, Ann Mason was the mother of General Winfield Scott.

The subject of this sketch was bound to a tailor, where he completed his apprentice-ship, and for many years followed his trade. He was born January 31, 1753 and on November 24, 1774, he married Parthena, the eldest child of our ancestors. His wife was born and raised in Pennsylvania^* and was connected to a large and respectable family. She had two brothers, one of whom was named Rynear and the other Allen.

Isaac Mason and his wife were Episcopal Methodists, and lived in the days of John Wesley, Asberry, and McKindrew. During the revolutionary war, he was a soldier under Washington, Green and Lafayette. And was present at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, at Yorktown, on the 19th of October, 1781. He was there discharged and returned to his family. The following year he moved to Sussex county, Virginia, and remained there until 1787. He then sold off his loose property and moved his family to Monongalia county, Virginia, in order to prepare a boat on which to move his family and household goods to French Lick, now Nashville.

On way to their new home, they were obliged to pass the falls of the Ohio river, which was then considered dangerous. He took all his family on shore, and hired an experienced hand to take his boat over. In the meantime, his family were in danger of being attacked by hostile Indians, for they were bitterly opposed to the wires advancing further west. The water was not at a very good stage for passing the falls, and a large number of movers having accumulated at that place, and fearing an attack from the Indians if they remained longer, a council was held by the interested parties, and it was resolved to attempt to pass the falls. They pledged to each other, if any one was so unfortunate as to lose his boat and cargo, that he would not be left behind; and out of sixteen boats and cargos, thirteen passed in safety. One of the boats lost belonged to Isaac Mason, and was the most valuable boat and cargo out of the sixteen boats. He was thus left without means, but his companions, true to their promise, proceeded to build a boat to accommodate him and his family, who had lost all. This work took but a little time, and they were soon on their way again, but had not gone more than twenty miles, when they were attacked by a large force of Indians, from the Ohio side, and in canoes. The whites were successful in the fight, killing a number of the enemy, and capturing their canoes. Several of the whites were badly wounded, among the number being a woman and her little

^* This is undoubtedly wrong, as the family were all together in Delaware